.■■ n •7-7 



RULES AND REGULATIONS 



GOVERNING THE 



Certification of Teachers 

IN 

COLLEGES AND NORMAL 
SCHOOLS 



COMPILED BY THE 

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC 
INSTRUCTION 



LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 



V h ^":u-o 



RULES AND REGULATIONS 



GOVERNING THE 



Certification of Teachers 



IN 



COLLEGES AND NORMAL 
SCHOOLS 



COMPILED BY THE 



STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC 
INSTRUCTION 



LINCOLN. NEBRASKA 



^1^. 

^ \^\<^ 



D. Of 0- 

.>o oci 10.10. 



For the guidance of candidates seeking 
any of the various certificates issued by Col- 
leges and Normal Schools, the state super- 
intendent and the committee for life pro- 
fessional certificates have compiled the fol- 
lowing extracts from the law, and the rules 
and conference reports governing the issu- 
ance of such certificates: 



EXTRACTS FROM THE LAW GOYERMNG 
IlfSTITUTIOXAL CERTIFICATION. 

Sec. la.— (11689)— Graduates University 
of Nebraslia or otlier incorporated schools 
of this state. — All graduates of the Univer- 
sity of Nebraska holding the degree of 
bachelor of arts or bachelor of science and 
in addition thereto certificates authorized 
by the board of regents showing that such 
graduates have completed the course of 
instruction prescribed by the regents and 
faculty of said university for the special 
training and instruction of teachers, and 
such other graduates as hold the same de- 
grees from any college or university duly 
incorporated under the laws of the state of 
Nebraska, who, in the judgment of the state 
superintendent of public instruction or the 
state board of examiners for life certificates, 
have completed in their respective institu- 
tions an equivalent of the courses in the 
University of Nebraska for said degrees 
prescribed by the regents and faculty of 
said university, shall be accredited as quall- 
—3— 



fied teachers within the meaning of the 
school law of this state; and all such gradu- 
ates shall have equal privileges, upon equal 
conditions, with graduates from any and 
all other educational institutions within 
this state under the school law thereof. Said 
colleges shall from year to year maintain 
entrance requirements, degree requirements 
and professional study Tequirements equiva- 
lent to those of the University of Nebraska. 
Each year the state superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction shall satisfy himself by per- 
sonal inspection or by the personal inspec- 
tion of the state board of examiners for life 
certificates that said requirements have 
been maintained before any certificate can 
be granted by such institution. Said cer- 
tificates are hereby declared to be valid as 
first grade state certificates entitling the 
holders to teach in the public schools of 
the state of Nebraska for a period of three 
years from their date. Said certificates shall 
be signed by the president and secretary of 
the board of trustees and the president or 
chancellor of the proper institution. 

Sec. lb.— (11690)— Same, confirmation of 
certificates. — After three years of actual 
teaching, the certificates of the graduates 
of the University of Nebraska or of any 
other college or university mentioned or 
described in section 11141, Cobbey's Anno- 
tated Statutes of Nebraska for 1903, shall 
be countersigned by the state superintend- 
ent of public instruction upon satisfactory 
evidence that the services of the applicant 
have been successful, making such cer- 
tificate good for life. Said counter-signature 



may be cancelled and its legal effect an- 
nulled by the state superintendent of public 
instruction upon satisfactory evidence of 
disqualification. Such certificates shall be 
subject to the provisions for lapsing set 
forth in section 11114c, Cobbey's Supple- 
ment 1905, to his Annotated Statutes of Ne- 
braska. 

Sec. 6. — (11691 — College and normal grad- 
uates. — When any college, university or 
normal school in this state shall have a 
course of study equal in extent and similar 
in subjects to the elementary course of the 
state normal schools, and shall have full 
and ample equipment and a faculty of in- 
structors fully competent to give and who 
are actually giving satisfactory instruction 
in the branches contained in said course and 
equivalent to that given in the state normal 
schools, any graduate from such course 
shall be granted by the board of trustees 
of the proper institution a second grade 
certificate of the same tenor and effect as 
the certificate to teach issued to the gradu- 
ates from the elementary course of the 
sitate normal schools. Said certificate shall 
be signed by the president of the board of 
trustees and the head of the department of 
education of the proper institution, and the 
state superintendent of public instruction. 

Sec. 7.— (11692)— Same. — When any col- 
lege, university or normal school in this 
state shall have a course of study equal in 
extent and similar in subjects to the higher 
course in the state normal schools, and 
shall have full and ample equipment and 
a faculty of instructors fully competent to 
—5— 



give and are actually giving satisfactory- 
instruction in the branches contained in 
said course and equivalent to that given in 
the state normal schools, the graduates 
from such course shall be granted by the 
board of trustees of the proper institution 
a first grade state certificate of the same 
tenor and effect as the certificate to teach 
issued to the graduates from the higher 
course of the state normal schools. Such 
certificate shall be signed by the president 
of the board of trustees and the head of 
the department of education of the proper 
institution and the state superintendent of 
public instruction. After three years of 
actual teaching the first grade state certifi- 
cates issued by any institution as set forth 
in this section may be countersigned by the 
state superintendent of public instruction 
upon satisfactory evidence that the services 
of the applicant have been successful, mak- 
ing such certificate good for life. Said 
counter-signature may be cancelled and its 
legal effect annulled by the state superin- 
tendent of public instruction upon satisfac- 
tory evidence of disqualification. Such cer- 
tificates shall be subject to the provisions 
for lapsing set forth in section 11114c, Cob- 
bey's Supplement (1905) to his Annotated 
Statutes of Nebraska. 

Sec. 8.— (11693)— Same defined.— The de- 
termination of the question as to what insti- 
tutions are entitled to the privileges set 
forth in sections 11141, 11143 and 11144, Cob- 
bey's Annotated Statutes of Nebraska for 
1903, shall be in the hands of the state 
superintendent of public instruction or the 
—6— 



state board of examiners for life certificates. 
No educational Institutions shall be entitled 
to the privileges conferred by sections 11143 
and 11144 unless the following requirements 
have been fulfilled: 

First. — Such institution shall be incorpo- 
rated under the laws of the state of Ne- 
braska. 

Second. — Said incorporation shall have at 
least fifty thousand dollars invested, or 
available for use in the school. 

Third. — Said incorporation shall employ 
not fewer than five teachers who shall put 
in full time in giving instruction in the 
branches of study required to be taught by 
the provisions of this act. 

Fourth. — The state superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction shall satisfy himself by per- 
sonal inspection or by the personal inspec- 
tion of the state board of examiners for 
life certificates that any institution desiring 
recognition under this act has fully complied 
with the requirements set forth herein and 
in sections 11143 and 11144 as hereby 
amended. 

Fifth. — The entrance requirements to the 
elementary and higher courses and the time 
required for the completion of said courses 
shall be the same as in the state normal 
schools. Each year the state superintend- 
ent of public instruction shall satisfy him- 
self by personal inspection or by the per- 
sonal inspection of the state board of ex- 
aminers for life certificates that said re- 
quirements have been met before any cer- 
tificate can be granted by such institution. 

Sec. 9. — Extent of -act. — The provisions of 
—7— 



this bill shall not apply to graduates of 
any school approved by the state superin- 
tendent who were graduated prior to the 
passage of this act. 

Sec. 15.— (11662)— Kegistration.— Each hold- 
er of an elementary state certificate, or a 
professional state certificate good for life 
shall, before he begins to teach, register the 
same in the office of the county superin- 
tendent of the county in which he shall 
teach, and for such registration he shall 
pay a fee of one dollar, which fee shall go 
into the institute fund of such county. 

CONFERENCE ON CERTIFICATION. 

On Thursday forenoon, September 3, 1908, 
an important conference on certification 
matters was held in the office of the state 
superintendent, at which representatives of 
all schools concerned were present. 

After a careful and exhaustive report by 
the state board of examiners for life certifi- 
cates on the work of inspection for the year 
just past, the conference unanimously 
adopted the following resolutions: 

1. That on and after September 1, 1909, 
no elementary state certificate or second 
grade state certificate shall be granted by 
any institution unless such certificate shall 
comprise all the subjects required for a 
first grade county certificate, and that no 
such certificate shall be granted on less 
than a three-year high school education, or 
its equivalent, plus twenty-four weeks resi- 
dent attendance. 

2. That on and after September 1, 1908, 
the rule for reckoning the time element 



shall be the same as that used by the North 
Central Association of Colleges and Second- 
ary Schools. The basis for fixing the length 
of the recitation period and the number of 
recitation periods per week is as follows: 

About 800 minutes (not to exceed 850) per 
week in recitation. Divide 800 by the num- 
ber representing the length of the recitation 
in minutes, to find the number of recitation 
periods per week. If the length of the reci- 
tation period is forty minutes, the number 
of recitations per week will be 20; if the 
length of the period is 50 minutes, the num- 
ber of recitation periods per week will be 
sixteen. Forty is recommended as the mini- 
mum and fifty as the maximum length of 
the recitation period. This does not in- 
clude the time for changing rooms but time 
sipent in solid recitation. Music, physical 
training, military training and such cultural 
work may be carried in addition to the num- 
ber of recitation periods per week as found 
by this division. 

3. That on and after September 1, 1908, 
the basis of earning credits at institutions 
authorized by law to grant teachers' certifi- 
cates be the same as used by Nebraska high 
schools accredited to the University of Ne- 
graska. 

4. That on and after September 1, 1908, 
the conferring of degrees by all institutions 
authorized by law to grant teachers' certifi- 
Qates be in strict accordance with the law 
and on no less requirements than those re- 
quired for the degree of bachelor of edu- 
cation at the state normal schools, and the 

—9— 



degrees of bachelor of arts and bachelor of 
science at the University of Nebraska. 

5. (Amended by conference of 1909.) 

6. That on and after September 1, 1909, 
no elementary or second grade state certifi- 
cate shall be granted to juniors on less than 
a four-year high school education, or its 
equivalent, plus twenty-four weeks' resident 
attendance. 

7. That on and after September 1, 1908, 
the state board of examiners for life certifi- 
cates shall not consider that a student has 
finished the required technical work who is 
short on time. 

Colleges and universities granting the 
university state teachers' certificate of the 
first grade should observe the following re^ 
quirements made by the University of Ne- 
braska: 

That on and after September 1, 1908, the 
forty hours under title, "Special Knowledge" 
be divided, if possible, between a major of 
16 hours and two minors of 12 hours each; 
otherwise, hold to the requirement as shown 
on pages 186-188, Bulletin University of 
Nebraska, 1908-9. 

Institutions granting normal first and 
second grade state certificates should ob- 
serve the following requirements for obser- 
vation and practice teaching made by the 
state normal schools, and maintain equiva- 
lents: 

Observation Work in Training Course. 

Required one recitation period of 45 
minutes daily for 36 weeks, and two prepara- 
tion periods daily for 36 weeks, or one- 
—10— 



fourth the student's time. The lowest mini- 
mum in time, as a result of experience or 
advanced scholarship, is 24 weeks, requiring 
one-fourth of the student's time on the ob- 
servation work. 

Half of the period is used for observation 
work daily and the other half for discussion, 
laying the foundation work for the next 
day's observation and for directing assigned 
readings. The student is assigned readings 
and the note book work so as to require the 
same time in preparation as arithmetic or 
grammar. Notice that in this course the 
observation work is expected to have one- 
fourth the student's time for recitation and 
one-fourth of his time for the preparation 
of the work. 

Observation Work in Junior Tear. 

Required one period of 45 minutes daily 
for 18 weeks and two preparation periods of 
45 minutes each for 18 weeks, or one-fourth 
the student's entire time and work for 18 
weeks. The actual observation is for three 
days a week, and special methods based 
largely on the results of observation the 
other two days. The observation work may 
all be completed and then the special 
method work continued daily. 

Professional Teaching for Juniors. 

In order to get the elementary (second 
grade) certificate for the completion of the 
junior year, the work must include the fol- 
lowing minimums: Psychology 5 hours 
(that is, five recitations per week), history 
of education 4 hours, observation work 5 
—11— 



hours. The student must have all work 
completed below the senior year, or near 
enough for completion in the senior year 
and one summer school. 

Practice Teaching for Seniors. 

The required practice work is one-fourth 
a student's time for one year, that is one 
recitation period daily and two preparation 
periods. In the recitation period of prac- 
tice work, one-half the period, or twenty 
minutes (the length of a recitation in the 
model grade school) is devoted to actual 
practice work and the other half to the ob- 
servation of the practice teaching of another 
senior. In the model high school the reci- 
tation period is forty-five minutes. 

The preparation consists in preparation 
of lessons, making plans, doing assigned 
readings and attending conferences. The 
preparation of work is considered just as 
essential as practice teaching itself. 

No amount of successful experience as a 
teacher excuses a student from observation 
work and practice teaching. 

SECOND CONFEREINCE. 

On September 9, 1909, a conference on 
certification matters was held in the office 
of the state superintendent at Lincoln. At 
this conference were present representatives 
from all institutions granting state certifi- 
cates except one. 

The conference reviewed the recommenda- 
tions of a similar conference held Septem- 
ber 3, 1908, made a few recommendations 
—12— 



with reference to equivalents, and planned 
to carry out the recommendations adopted 
be the 1908 conference. No action was taken 
toward raising the requirements beyond the 
recommendations of 1908, which are printed 
in full in the Twentieth Biennial Report of 
the state superintendent (McBrien), 1908. 

The definite action taken by the confer- 
ence of September 9, 1909, is as follows: 

Moved and carried unanimously to ap- 
prove Section 1 of the report of the con- 
ference of college and normal school presi- 
dents of September 3, 1908 on the issuance 
of the elementarj^ (second grade) state cer- 
tificates, and recommend that the ele- 
mentary (second grade) state certificates 
have the same rights and privileges in re- 
gard to renewal as the first grade county 
certificate. 

Moved and carried unanimously that in 
determining the equivalent of a three-year 
high school education, we consider the 
branches required for a first (or second) 
grade county certificate and the minimum 
of twenty-four weeks in methods and obser- 
vation work as constant, and that the other 
subjects required may be selected from the 
general curriculum of the high school as 
laid down in the high school manual. 

Moved and carried unanimously that in 
the acceptance of county certificates in the 
valuation of a three-year high school edu- 
cation, only those certificates be considered 
which have been granted under the new 
law which went into effect October 1, 1905. 

Moved and carried that the conference 
approve the amendment made by the state 
—13— 



normal board of education to No. 5 making 
it read as follows: 

"That on and after September 1, 1909, the 
standard time requirement for the first 
grade state certificate shall be seventy-two 
weeks beyond a twelve grade high school 
preparation or its equivalent, and that no 
first grade state certificate shall be issued 
on less than a four-year high school prepara- 
tion or its equivalent, plus fifty-two weeks 
attendance, twenty-four weeks of which 
must be in the Institution granting the cer- 
tificate. Provided that any student falling 
below the standard on presenting the regu- 
lar endorsement of the faculty and in addi- 
tion thereto a special recommendation from 
each member of the faculty concerned in 
the accreditment of such student, may, on 
the approval of the board of education, be 
granted the above named certifi-cate. The 
application of any person for the above 
named certificate whose qualifications do 
not meet the above named requirements 
shall be made a case for special consider- 
ation by the normal board of education." 

"Credits. — ^The following standard of 
credits is hereby established: 

"1. Full credit shall be given for all 
properly accredited and reported work from 
high schools accredited to the University of 
Nebraska." 

"2. Full credit shall be given for all 
properly accredited and reported work from 
high schools approved by the state superin- 
tendent as high schools of the first or second 
class." 

—14— 



"3. Recognized equivalents of the above 
named credits." 

"4. Applicants presenting credits from 
high school or other sources not included 
in the above may, on approval of the regis- 
trar, be admitted tentatively and on satisfac- 
tory evidence of ability to carry the work 
-be granted credit for entrance requirement 
on written examination by the department 
interested on all subjects for which credits 
have not been accepted under Nos. 1 and 
2 above. 

ACTION OF BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR 

THE NEBRASKA STATE NORMAL 

SCHOOLS, JANUARY 8, 1910. 

A special committee to formulate a rule 
touching the granting of certificates by the 
board reported as follows: 

"That diplomas and certificates shall be 
granted to applicants upon the recommenda- 
tion of the faculty and principals of the 
respective schools and upon the additional 
recommendation of the state board of ex- 
aminers for life certificates." 

"Mr. Ludden moved and Mr. Tooley 
seconded that the report of the special com- 
mittee be approved. The motion was 
adopted." 

CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS AT UNI- 
VERSITY OF NEBRASKA. 

At a meeting of the regents of the Univer- 
sity of Nebraska held February 15, 1910, on 
recommendation of the faculty of the teach- 
ers' college, the following rule was adopted: 
—15— 



(1) Each candidate for a teacher's cer- 
tificate shall submit to the state superintend- 
ent of public instruction, for his approval, 
a detailed report showing the academic and 
professional preparation of the candidate, 
including both secondary and collegiate 
courses, properly authenticated by the 
Registrar of the University of Nebraska, and 
the Dean of the college in which the student 
is matriculated. 

(2) Teachers certificates issued by the 
University of Nebraska shall contain a full 
record showing the amount and the char- 
acter of the student's secondary and col- 
legiate work, as shown by the records of the 
registrar's office. 

(Signed) E. C. BISHOP, 
Superintendent Public Instruction. 
State Board of Examiners: 
E. J. BODWELL, 
J. SPARKS, 
FRANK S. PERDUE. 
March 1. 1910. 



LiBRARY OF CONGRESS 



Ilk 
019 763 637 3 



